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In September 2024, Hurricane Helene tore through the southeastern United States, leaving a trail of unprecedented destruction and underscoring the growing impact of climate change on extreme weather events. Categorised as a powerful Category 4 storm, Helene killed at least 91, caused catastrophic flooding, infrastructure collapse, and significant loss of life across several states, including Florida and North Carolina. It destroyed homes, uprooted trees, and left many without power for weeks. Its rapid intensification and inland devastation are stark reminders of how climate change is reshaping the nature of hurricanes. As the climate crisis worsens, Helene serves as both a warning and a tragic example of our challenges adapting to a rapidly warming world.
Warming Oceans: The Fuel Behind Helene’s Rapid Intensification
One of the most apparent links between climate change and hurricanes like Helene is the warming of the world’s oceans. As global temperatures rise due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, sea surface temperatures have steadily climbed. Helene traversed the Gulf of Mexico, with surface temperatures nearly 2°C above average during the storm, creating ideal conditions for rapid intensification. NASA and NOAA have identified ocean heat content as a significant factor behind the increased strength of hurricanes, with warmer waters providing more energy for storms to intensify.
Helene was a textbook example of this phenomenon, transforming from a tropical storm into a Category 4 hurricane in just a short period as it absorbed heat from the Gulf. Rapid intensification events, like Hurricane Helene’s transformation, are becoming increasingly frequent due to warming oceans. The higher the ocean temperatures, the more energy hurricanes absorb, leading to more substantial and unpredictable storms.
Helene’s rapid strengthening from a tropical storm to a powerful Category 4 hurricane illustrates how warmer waters contribute to the explosive growth of these weather systems and a trend scientists attribute to the broader impacts of climate change. This shift points to the growing volatility and intensity of future storms. Research published by Nature Communications has shown that the frequency of rapid intensification events like Helene has increased by nearly 40% over the last 40 years, directly correlated to rising sea temperatures. Furthermore, studies by Geophysical Research Letters have pointed out that this trend will continue unless global warming is curtailed, leading to future destructive storms.
Record-Breaking Rainfall: The Atmospheric Water Bomb
The connection between warmer air and increased rainfall during hurricanes is another well-documented effect of climate change. Warmer air can hold more moisture, meaning that hurricanes now bring significantly more rain. As the atmosphere heats up, it can carry 7% more moisture for every degree Celsius temperature increase, according to research published in Science of The Total Environment. This phenomenon was evident during Hurricane Helene, which dumped record amounts of rain over North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina, leading to landslides, flash floods, and overwhelming critical infrastructure.
In North Carolina alone, some areas recorded over 29 inches of rain, contributing to the worst flooding the state had seen in decades. Studies by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicate that the increased capacity for moisture in the atmosphere is directly tied to rising global temperatures, causing hurricanes to deliver heavier and more sustained downpours. This “atmospheric river” effect, where storms pull in large amounts of moisture from the oceans and then release it inland, exacerbates flooding and damage far from the coastal areas where hurricanes typically cause the most destruction.
A study published in Nature Climate Change further concluded that hurricanes today drop 15% more rainfall on average than those of the 20th century due to climate change. The researchers warn that with ongoing global warming, the rainfall potential of future hurricanes could increase by up to 30% by the end of the century, making extreme flooding events like those caused by Helene more frequent and severe.
Inland Vulnerability: How Far Inland Can Hurricanes Strike?
One of the most alarming characteristics of Hurricane Helene was its impact far inland. While hurricanes have historically caused the most damage along coastlines, Helene defied this pattern by unleashing significant destruction across inland regions like Tennessee and North Carolina. This phenomenon, known as the ‘inland intensification of hurricanes ‘, is becoming a growing concern as storms carry more moisture and maintain their strength further from the coast. Slower-moving storms tend to deposit more significant amounts of rainfall over inland areas, increasing the risk of severe flooding. Research indicates that this trend is linked to rising global temperatures, which lead to a more moisture-rich atmosphere. As a result, inland regions that were historically less vulnerable are now facing more significant threats from these prolonged, moisture-laden storms.
Helene’s slow movement exacerbated this inland flooding, creating an extended period of heavy rain that caused rivers to overflow, landslides in mountainous regions, and the failure of dams and levees. The stalling of hurricanes, where storms move slowly and linger over areas, leading to prolonged and extreme rainfall, is an emerging pattern linked to climate change. Warmer atmospheric conditions are causing upper-level winds to weaken, allowing storms to stall and cause devastating, long-lasting deluges. This stalling effect has been observed in recent tropical hurricanes like Harvey and Florence, resulting in severe flooding and infrastructure damage in areas not designed to handle such sustained weather.
Inland communities, historically considered less vulnerable to hurricanes, are now facing heightened risks due to direct rainfall and the flooding of rivers and dams. Hurricane Helene’s inland trajectory caused significant infrastructure failures, particularly in rural areas with limited emergency resources. This trend is increasingly attributed to climate change, leading to heavier rainfall and slower-moving storms that bring severe flooding far beyond coastal regions.
As the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit notes, inland flooding is becoming more frequent and destructive due to extreme rainfall events exacerbated by climate change. The damage is particularly severe in areas where infrastructure is outdated and not designed to handle these new climate realities.
Long-Term Recovery and the Path Forward
The aftermath of Hurricane Helene is not just a short-term crisis but a long-term challenge for rebuilding and adaptation. Recovery from Hurricane Helene is expected to take several years, particularly in regions like Florida and North Carolina, where critical infrastructure has been severely damaged. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell highlighted that the extent of the destruction across five states, including significant damage to roads, bridges, and power grids, will require a prolonged rebuilding process. This underscores the crucial role of policymakers in climate resilience and recovery efforts.
The storm left millions without power in Florida, while North Carolina faced widespread flooding, landslides, and impassable roads. This widespread infrastructure failure underscores the long-term challenges these states will face in returning to normalcy and highlights the growing need for climate-resilient rebuilding strategies. The extensive damage to roads, power grids, and flood control systems is a stark reminder that the current infrastructure in many parts of the U.S. is not designed to handle the “new normal” of extreme weather events.
A report from the World Bank highlighted the escalating costs of disaster recovery in a climate-affected world, with hurricanes becoming more expensive due to their frequency and severity of damage. The report also emphasises the importance of investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and adaptive planning to prepare for future storms like Helene. Communities across the Southeast will need to rethink their approaches to flood management, emergency preparedness, and rebuilding efforts, focusing on short-term resilience and long-term climate adaptation.
The scientific consensus is clear: hurricanes will become more intense and destructive as the climate warms. Hurricane Helene is a painful reminder of this reality. The time for robust climate action is now, not just to mitigate future risks but also to adapt to the changes that are already in motion. For the millions affected by Helene, the road to recovery is long and uncertain, but one thing is clear: future storms will require us to rethink how we prepare, respond, and rebuild.
References:
https://www.nasa.gov/hurricanes-and-ocean-heat
Four ways climate change likely made Hurricane Helene worse
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12070-1
https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/global-warming-and-hurricanes
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145139/tropical-cyclones-are-stalling-more
https://toolkit.climate.gov/topics/coastal-flood-risk/inland-flooding
https://ctpublic.org/2024-09-29/fema-administrator-addresses-the-damage-done-by-hurricane-helene
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/climate-action
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